Questions and answers

Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for ��˿�� to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S4W-17359

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 September 2013
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-16620 by John Swinney on 2 September 2013, when it will publish a paper outlining proposals for pensions policy in an independent Scotland.

Question reference: S4O-02414

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to boost production of both domestic and foreign films in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-16767

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 August 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 13 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of a recent report by the Institute of Economic Affairs suggesting that the High Speed Rail 2 network from London to Birmingham and Manchester could cost £80 billion, what benefits it expects that this investment will bring to Scotland's (a) people and (b) economy and what estimate it has made of what share of the cost will be met by Scotland's taxpayers.

We are aware of the claims of the Institute of Economic Affairs, although the UK Government’s position remains that the budget for High Speed 2 is still at £42.6 billion, including a contingency fund of some £14 billion.

By any measure, High Speed 2 will require significant expenditure. However, it remains unclear how the project as currently reported will deliver benefit to Scotland, either in terms of rail capacity and journey time improvements, or in terms of economic benefit.

High Speed 2 will extend from London to Birmingham and then to Manchester and Leeds. However, like London Crossrail, the scheme is to be funded from taxpayers from across all areas of the UK.

For all to benefit, it is our view that the line must extend further. That is why the Scottish Government is working with the UK Government to establish a joint study on options for high speed rail northwards to Scotland.

The Scottish Government is also investigating options for the development of high speed lines in Scotland, as an early contribution to a UK network.

Question reference: S4O-02386

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government to what extent personal circumstances are taken into account when considering middle-aged men for a free health check.

Question reference: S4F-01535

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 September 2013

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to encourage fostering.

Question reference: S4O-02322

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what reductions it anticipates there will be to the Scottish budget in the years to 2017-18 if Scotland remains part of the UK.

Question reference: S4W-16015

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 28 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when it will introduce compulsory microchipping of dogs, in light of its introduction or planned introduction in other parts of the UK.

Question reference: S4W-15589

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 24 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether management options for marine protected areas take account of the impacts on non-mobile stakeholder groups such as creelers and anglers.

Question reference: S4W-15588

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 24 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when it will review the management options for marine protected areas and publish that review.

Question reference: S4W-15587

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when Scottish Natural Heritage and Marine Scotland will hold a public meeting on Arran to discuss the proposed South Arran Marine Protected Area.

We are developing management options for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) where scientific advice suggests that some form of management may be necessary to achieve the conservation objectives for each proposed protected feature in each possible MPA. The approach to identifying management options for each activity, including those for impacts of creelers and anglers, will be risk-based, which means options will be presented where there is a risk to the achievement of the conservation objectives.

The management options will be informed by discussion with stakeholders and will be consulted on this summer. If new information becomes available during the consultation, the management options may be revised. We recognise that stakeholders can provide local, practical environmental knowledge and more detailed information on activities, including in relation to intensity, frequency, and methods. This additional information will help us to develop more specific management options, focussed on interactions between features and activities. To better understand this and to raise awareness of the proposal for the South Arran possible MPA, we intend to invite members of the Arran community, and any other interested parties, to attend a joint Marine Scotland and SNH drop in session on MPAs towards the start of the summer consultation. We are in discussions with the Community of Arran Seabed Trust over arrangements for this event on Arran.

In addition there is also a review period every six years to assess the efficacy of the network in achieving its conservation objectives, where the first review would be held in 2018-19.